Keene, TX: Monday Hurricane Gustav will be making landfall probably on the Louisiana coastline. Adventist Community Services Disaster Response has been making extensive plans to assist those that will be affected. ACS is the humanitarian agency of the Seventh-day Adventist Church that responds to disasters in the United States and Bermuda.
It is amazing that it was only three years ago this weekend, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast. Adventist Community Services volunteers were on the ground assisting those that were affected. Conferences across the North American Division came together and collectively they assisted in the massive ACSDR relief effort. This combined effort made a real difference in the lives of those affected by the storm.
As Hurricane Gustav, an extremely dangerous storm approaches the United States coastline, ACS DR is busy making arrangements to be there for affected communities. The Texas Conference has two semi trailers that are mobile distribution units, equipped with supplies to assist families that have been displaced by the Hurricane. This assistance includes, pre-packaged, pre-sized clothing outfits, blankets, sheets and personal hygiene kits. Each of these units carries 1800 outfits on board.
The East Texas ACS DR Area Coordinator reported that Jefferson Academy Church has 21 evacuees from South Louisiana that have already arrived. The Lufkin ACS DR group is assisting with public sheltering in that city. The ACS DR Area Coordinator for Keene was in contact with a family from New Orleans who arrived in Keene Saturday night and the Texas ACS DR Depot provided sheets, blankets and pillows for them. The ACS DR Area Coordinator for Fort Worth TX has been working with the City of Fort Worth strategizing ways to handle the influx of donated goods. The ACS DR Area Coordinators for San Antonio have assisted VOAD in registering over 160 incoming volunteers who have arrived.
Four Arkansas-Louisiana Churches; Baton Rouge LA, Alexandria LA, Shreveport LA South, and Texarkana AR have opened as shelters for Adventist families. Camp Yorktown Bay - youth camp for Arkansas-Louisiana Conference - will be available to provide temporary shelter for church members to stay after September 2.
Lone Star Camp at Athens, TX - youth camp for Southwest Region Conference - is serving as a Red Cross Shelter. Churches in Monroe LA, Alexandria LA, and four churches in the Houston area are also opening to church members. ACS volunteers are helping with public sheltering in the Houston area. ACS DR is represented at the Houston Emergency Operation Center by Linda Walker, Disaster Donation Manager for the City of Houston. She, along with ACS Volunteers, is working with the City of Houston to assist the 20,000 or more evacuees that are arriving from Louisiana.
The Southern Union Call Center in Collegedale, TN is activating to accept inquiries, recruit volunteers and accept donations for the response to Hurricane Gustav.
ACS Volunteers are assisting at public shelters in Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama.
Terry Haight, Georgia Cumberland Conference Disaster Response Coordinator, is planning to stage their shower trailer and other equipment at Bass Memorial Academy. After landfall they will be able to move it into affected areas as needed.
Steve Orian, President of Arkansas-Louisiana Conference offered the Southern Louisiana Convention Center in Hammond, if it is not significantly affected by the hurricane, to be used as an ACS command post.
Michigan Conference is sending their Communications Trailer, Mobile Kitchen, Refrigerated Truck and Chain Saw Utility Trailer to the command post at the Southern Louisiana Convention Center to be used in the relief efforts.
Ron Whitehead, with Center for Youth Evangelism, reports that 75-100 college students have volunteered to assist and they are considering staging their disaster response equipment and supplies at Bass Memorial Academy on Tuesday night.
AIM, Adventist Information Ministry, has been activated to accept calls regarding the disaster response. They will be able to accept donations for the relief effort. Their number is 1-800-381-7171.
Gulf States Conference has a mobile kitchen and is standing ready to help.
ACS volunteers in Jackson, MS are taking supplies to the local shelter to assist with the 3,000 evacuees that have arrived so far. The North Alabama Federations are working with Red Cross in helping with the 5,400 evacuees. ACSDR volunteers are partnering with the City of Memphis to assist with the 3,000 evacuees coming to that city.
Hundreds of ACS Volunteers will be working in their communities to make a difference. You can help by making a donation today.
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